Shaun Alexander Warns Seahawks of ‘Foolish’ QB Move

Getty The Seahawks might have to think twice about a Baker Mayfield trade, says Shaun Alexander.

One Seattle Seahawks great is not in agreement with a potential trade for another quarterback.

As trade rumors continue to swirl surrounding the idea of the Seahawks acquiring Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield, Shaun Alexander believes it’s a bad idea. The 2005 NFL MVP and three-time Pro Bowler appeared on the Zach Gelb Show on Thursday, June 9, and said it would “be foolish” for the Seahawks to pull off a trade for Mayfield.

“It’s interesting because I feel like Baker Mayfield might, on paper, look a bit better than Drew or Geno,” said Alexander. “But, I don’t know if there’s a higher ceiling for any of those three guys… If we make a trade, are we willing to lose something that doesn’t have as high of a ceiling? That’d be foolish… To lose picks or people for something with a ceiling that’s not as high, I don’t think that’s the wisest.”

Why Seahawks Could Regret Mayfield Trade

Alexander has a point. For all of Mayfield’s faults, he is a legit starting quarterback. The former No. 1 overall pick led the Browns to their first playoff win in 26 years a little more than a year ago. Furthermore, he came within one possession of leading the Browns to an upset win over the AFC Champion Kansas City Chiefs during the divisional round of the playoffs.

In other words, he is a better quarterback than career backup Geno Smith and Drew Lock, who has yet to establish that he can be a viable starting quarterback in the league.

But is it worth acquiring Mayfield by giving up valuable draft picks? Mayfield has never proven to be a top-tier quarterback. In fact, through four seasons in the league, Mayfield has yet to rank within the top 10 in any major passing category in a single season.

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Why Seahawks Are Taking Hard Stance With Mayfield Deal

According to Pro Football Focus, Mayfield posted a 63.6 offensive grade during the 2021 season, ranking 31st among all quarterbacks with at least 100 snaps. Mayfield saw a major regression in his play, but that can be attributed to a partially torn labrum injury that he dealt with all season long.

In the season prior, Mayfield posted an 81.6 offensive grade, ranking 14th among all quarterbacks.

If the Seahawks acquire Mayfield via trade, there’s little doubt that Seattle would be upgrading its quarterback position. The concern is, would they really be improving to the point where it’s worth giving up draft picks? Especially when you consider that if the Seahawks do finish as one of the worst teams in the league this season, they’ll be line to select a top QB prospect such as C.J. Stroud or Bryce Young in next year’s draft.

The other concern is, how much money are the Browns willing to eat on Mayfield’s $18.9 million cap hit? With the Browns reportedly ruling out the idea of releasing Mayfield, the only possibility of the 27-year-old quarterback landing in Seattle is via trade.

With the Seahawks not desperate to make a move for Mayfield and the Browns taking a hard stance on their handling of their former franchise quarterback, it’s getting harder and harder to envision Mayfield in Seattle.